


Hold On (You Got Stars In Your Eyes)

by Kiwi_Kori



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Big brother Dream, Dadza, Dream Smp, Falling to death, Family Dynamic, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I'm so sorry, Little Brother Purpled, Minecraft, Older Sibling Wilbur Soot, Protective Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), no ships, prompt, sleepy bois inc - Freeform, that's weirdchamp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:16:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27569659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiwi_Kori/pseuds/Kiwi_Kori
Summary: "I'm sorry, Kid," And before Purpled even knew what was happening, he was being pushed halfway out the window, Bad's shocked yells for Sapnap to hold on falling on two pairs of deaf ears, "But we need to distract him."Purpled, in his panicked state, had just enough time to remember that he didn't have any water buckets in his inventory before he was pushed off the ledge, a blood-curdling scream ripping through his throat as he plummeted towards the unforgiving ground.~~~Or in which I saw a prompt on Tumblr for this and decided to take a shot at it.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Grayson | Purpled (Video Blogging RPF), Dave | Technoblade & Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit & Phil Watson, Grayson | Purpled & Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit
Comments: 171
Kudos: 1387





	1. Of Protective Big Brothers and Asshole Friends

People should be more like flowers. 

Flowers were simple, easy to please beings that were just along for the ride. All they needed was Sun, Soil, and water, and they were happy. 

Flowers were beautiful in their simplicity. They were independent, quiet, and everything Purpled wishes he could be. 

Humans, though, were ugly in their greed. Always needing more for themselves, hoarding as many riches and resources they can. It was never the necessities they craved, it was how much junk they could buy to show off. In Purpled’s opinion, he’d rather be a lonely flower. 

Or maybe a weed? While flowers stuck out for their beauty, weeds blended in for the opposite. Yeah, that’s right, he’d rather be a weed sitting atop an abandoned hill, overlooking the sea, flowing in the breeze, then what he was right now.

It’s not that  _ he _ was the problem, the boy actually prided himself on staying out of the countless wars going on in the server, it was everyone else. It seemed like they had all been blinded by their own need for power. 

The once beautiful SMP now represents something dark, ugly, and twisted.

But what could he do about it? He was one of the most irrelevant inhabitants on the server. It hadn’t always been that way, but as he said, humans were greedy. 

So, what the hell was he supposed to do when Dream all but breaks his door down in a haste to get inside? 

It was a surprise to see the man, so much so that he startled so bad he drops the sword he was holding, distantly aware of how the blade barely missed his socked foot. 

Watching the older man clumsily make his way to his feet, out of breath and face split into one of the biggest grins Purpled had ever seen, he merely raises an eyebrow when he exclaims, “Oh man, I can’t believe that  _ worked! _ ”

Huffing a bit, still unsure of how he felt about the intruder in his home, Purple catches eye of all the potions and weapons strapped to the Admin’s body. “Care to explain?”

God, what was he supposed to do? He hasn’t seen Dream in so long, the elder being busy trying to take Wilbur and Tommy down. Why? He couldn’t tell you, but word on the street says the blonde wasn’t happy with the revolution against  _ his _ rule.

It was, what, 5? 6? Citizens in total? Purpled didn’t understand the big deal, but honestly? That’s probably for the best, something tells him trying to wrap his head around the conflict will give him one hell of a migraine. 

“Annual manhunt,” Swiping a hand through his now damp hair, Dream starts to look a bit sheepish, “I-I didn’t think you’d be home?”

Scrunching his brow even further, Purpled is a bit puzzled by the statement. If he  _ wasn’t _ home, Dream wouldn’t have been able to get it. It’s a blatant lie, but Purpled is too exasperated to call the blonde out on it. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“It sure as hell would have made  _ me _ feel better.” Flopping down on the bed next to him, Dream sighs in content at finally being able to sit down. 

Purpled, on the other hand, squawks in protest at this, the man is soaking wet, and he was kinda planning on sleeping in his bed tonight, so he’d rather it not get soaked. 

Stifling a sigh, the boy trudges his way over to his bed. All but throwing his body onto it, Purpled starts poking the older blonde on the cheek repeatedly, “Get  _ up _ you big oaf.”

Slapping the smaller boy’s hand away, Dream turns his head to the boy, unclipping his porcelain mask from his face. “What did you just call me?”

Chuckling nervously, Purpled inches his way off the bed bit by bit, “Nothing.”

“No, no” Pouncing before Purpled could even comprehend what was going on, Dream has the boy tackled to the bed, hands waving playfully over him, “You called me an oaf, I think that warrants an apology.”

A cocky grin suddenly fills the smaller boy’s face as he looks up, mischief shining in his violet eyes, “Okay, okay, you’re right.  _ I’m _ sooo sorry that you’re just so lazy, and boring and-”

“That’s it!” The young boy is cut off by a giggle forcing its way out of his throat as Dream’s hands suddenly scribble at his side.

“W-Wait! Dream-” Hands flying down to fight off the ones scratching at his ribs, Purpled can’t stop the relentless laughter that comes out of him. It takes the boy a few minutes, but eventually, he is able to wriggle himself out from under Dream, propping himself on his elbows to catch his breath. “God, you asshole.”

Laughing to himself, Dream lightly smacks the boy on the shoulder, “Don’t say that.” Waiting for the teen to compose himself a bit more, Dream watches in mild curiosity as the boy reaches into the chest next to his bed, pulling out a golden apple. 

Throwing it at the older man’s head, Purpled scoffed as he almost dropped it, “Thought you might be hungry.”

Taking a bite of the sweet treat, Dream doesn’t even attempt to keep good manners as he mutters a quick, “Thanks,” with a mouth full of food. 

Scrunching his brow in disgust, Purpled looks at the blonde critically, “You’re so gross, god,” Laughing at the shove that follows the remark. 

The two sit in content silence for a bit after that, both waiting for Dream to finish his food before striking up conversation again. 

Purpled had begun to fiddle with the sleeves of his jacket waiting for the older man to finish, a nervous habit he picked up once the wars started.

You can only be shoved to the side so many times before you start to get anxious every time you talk to someone. 

Dream must have picked up on the dip in his mood though, carelessly tossing the apple core behind him and shifting so he’s sitting more in front of Purpled than off to the side of him. “So, what have you been up to, kid? I feel like I haven’t seen you in a while.”

It took all of Purpled’s self-control not to snap at the man. “Maybe because you haven’t. I’ve been...busy. Super duper, have no time to hang out with anyone, busy.”

The wince he receives from the statement is satisfactory enough. 

Because it  _ has _ been forever since he’s seen Dream--well, scratch that. He sees Dream all the time, but the man is always busy fighting off that little rebellion. What did they call themselves again? L’Manburg, right?

But, before Dream could even utter a word of apology, a shrill yell cuts him off. 

“It’s the only place we haven’t looked, man! He  _ has _ to be up there!”

Exchanging a glance with Dream, both boys make their way over to the stained glass lining his UFO’s walls. Upon looking down, Purpled can make out both Bad and Sapnap making their way up his water elevator, and George keeping watch on the ground. 

“ _ Shit!” _ Flying away from the window and into the middle of the circle room, Dream quickly clips his mask back on as he tugs anxiously on his blonde hair, “They’re here.”

Returning his gaze to the window, Purpled’s eyes widen upon seeing the two hunters about halfway up. “You gotta go, man. Like right now.”

Dropping his head, like he’s about to regret the decision he’s about to make, Dream turns to Purpled one last time, stature rigid and jittery, before saying, “I’m sorry kid, I’ll pay for the damages. Go hide.”

And with that he crashes through the window, glass shattering everywhere as Dream pulls out a water bucket to stop the would-have-been fatal landing. 

The second Dream hits the ground, Sapnap, and Bad break the hatch to his UFO open, wasting no time in composing themselves and scouring the room. 

It wasn’t until Sapnap’s gaze snapped onto him that Purpled felt the terror he was feeling truly sink in. 

Now, he wasn’t an easy kid to spook, he played bed wars for fun for god’s sake! But, this wasn’t the arena where everything was just fun and games, no, this was Dream's server where you only get three respawns,  _ three _ , before you’re dead. Permanently. 

So can he really be blamed if he countered every step Sapnap took towards him with his own step back?

The tactic seemed to be working fine for him until his back finally hit the wall he knew he inevitably would. 

It seemed like that had been the cue Sapnap was waiting for. Surging forward, the brunet swings out his sword and presses it gently against his neck faster than Purpled’s brain could keep up with. 

Sucking in a harsh breath, Purpled can’t help the tremors that wrack his body as Sapnap snarls in his face, “Where is he?”

This wasn’t the Sapnap he knew, wasn’t the man he usually hung out with. No, this was a tired, agitated, and not thinking straight Sapnap. A Sapnap that was known to make reckless and poor decisions, a very “act now, think later” typa guy. 

God, why can’t his brain just shut up for once?

“Sap, wait, he’s not in here.” Sagging in relief as the blade was pulled away from him, Purpled looks over to see who just saved his neck. Standing over the broken glass of the window Dream jumped out of was Bad, looking down at the duel between the blonde and George that was currently happening, “The muffin jumped.”

In a moment of bravery Purpled sure as hell didn’t really possess, the boy scrambled over to where Bad was standing. Looking down, he can’t help the proud smile that creeps its way onto his face. Dream is kicking George’s ass. 

Maybe if he had been paying better attention he would have heard the muttered, “Green bastard,” from Sapnap, or the “Language” exclaimed by Bad, or the look the two men changed before two large hands clamped down on his shoulders. 

His whole body tensed under the touch, an involuntary shiver running down his spine. This wasn’t a brotherly clap on the shoulders from Dream, or a playful swat from Tommy, this was a “You’re not getting away” grip. 

“I’m sorry, kid” And before Purpled even knew what was happening, the arms on his shoulders were forcing his body out of the window, the alarmed cries of Bad falling on two pairs of deaf ears, “But we really need a distraction.”

Purpled, in his panicked state, had just enough time to remember that he didn't have any water buckets in his inventory before he was pushed off the ledge, a blood-curdling scream ripping through his throat as he plummeted towards the unforgiving ground. 

He almost missed the way Dream's head snapped up at the shout before the world went black.

  
  


* * *

He was entirely out of options. 

Manhunts usually don’t go this poorly for him, not to brag or anything, but Dream usually kicked  _ ass _ during them. This year? Not so much. 

He couldn’t even tell you  _ why _ he was doing so bad, he had plenty of armor, food, and weapons. Yet here he was, almost completely out of breath, running like a madman to his little brother’s humble little home. 

Okay, maybe a giant UFO in the sky wasn’t exactly too humble of a home, but you get what he means. 

Reaching the door of the water elevator, Dream hesitates. His friends aren’t that far behind him, and he knows how desperate they’re getting to disarm him, to win their first manhunt. All in all, a version of his friends he doesn’t really want around his little brother.

But, he was out of breath, his legs were aching, and he hasn’t seen Purpled in so  _ long _ .

With that thought in mind, the blonde wrenches open the door, taking a deep breath before stepping into the water and letting it pull him up to the trap door leading into the younger’s house. 

Swinging the small hatch open, Dream throws himself out of the water, not even caring to try and do so gracefully. “Oh, man,” He breathes, a wheezy laugh bubbling out of him, “I can’t believe that  _ worked! _ ” 

Because he really hadn’t, today has been a mess and he didn’t expect anything to go his way. He truly thought his friends would have caught up to him before he was able to make his escape. 

Somewhere in the room, Dream hears a surprised yelp cut its way through his laughter. Looking up, the blonde is just quick enough to catch the blade of a diamond sword barely missing Purpled’s socked foot, though it seemed as though the boy was too shocked to notice the close call. 

Jesus, he didn’t come up here just to suffer a heart attack. 

But, before he could berate the boy for being so careless, Purpled’s voice cuts him off. “Care to explain?” The remark comes off playful and sassy, but Dream could hear the slight concern and confusion behind it. 

Climbing to his feet, Dream takes a moment to collect himself. “Annual manhunt, “ he sighs, swiping a calloused hand through his sandy hair, “I-I didn’t think you’d be home?”

He hates how it comes off more like a question. It’s clear to see in the younger blonde’s expression that he doesn’t believe him a single bit. But, it seems like the kid was willing to humor him if his next statement was anything to go by. 

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“It sure as hell would have made  _ me _ feel better.” Which wasn’t a lie, Dream doesn’t think he’d be able to live with himself if Purpled got hurt because of him. 

Deciding that he was done standing, Dream flops onto the purple bed next to him, relishing in the relief it brings his aching bones, and smiling at the squawk of protest it gets out of Purpled. 

Closing his eyes, Dream hadn’t noticed the boy had begun to make his way over to the bed as well until he felt a hand sneak under his mask to poke his face. Again, and again, and again. 

“Get  _ up _ you big oaf.”

Finally having enough of the childish antics, Dream unclips his porcelain mask and turns to face the younger beside him, mock anger taking over his face. “What did you just call me?”

It takes everything in him to not burst out laughing at the panic blossoming on the blonde’s face. “Nothing.”

“No, no” Tackling Purpled to the bed, Dream wiggles his fingers above the boy’s rids threateningly, an evil grin splitting onto his face, “You called me an oaf, I think that warrants an apology.”

He can’t help but raise an eyebrow at the cocky smile that takes over the younger’s face. “Okay, okay, you’re right.  _ I’m _ sooo sorry that you’re just so lazy, and boring, and-”

“That’s it!” Digging his hands into the teen’s ribs, Dream can’t help but laugh a bit along with him. It’s been so long since he’s heard his little brother laugh, he hadn’t even realized how much he missed the sound until now. 

With a gasp, he feels smaller hands fly down to his own and try to fight them off, “W-Wait! Dream-” but Purpled couldn’t seem to complete a sentence through his relentless stream of giggles. 

Finally taking pity on the boy, Dream lets up on his attack, moving away from the smaller body to let the blonde compose himself. 

“God, you asshole.”

Chuckling a bit at the snark, Dream lands a light slap onto the boy’s shoulder. “Don’t say that.” Sure, it was a bit hypocritical, he had quite the potty mouth himself, but it made him feel like more of a big brother to say things like that. 

Watching with mild curiosity as Purpled leans over the side of his bed, reaching into the chest there, Dream is most definitely not prepared for the golden apple that comes flying at his head, scrambling back to try and catch it clumsily. 

“Thought you might be hungry.”

Taking a bite into the small treat, Dream can’t help but sigh in content at the taste. He hadn’t even realized how hungry he was until now, “Thanks” he mumbled, having no regard for the fact that his mouth was full of half-chewed up food. 

With a fake gag and a look of utter disgust, he hears Purpled say, “You’re so gross, god.”

Scowling at the statement, Dream leans over enough to shove the boy away from him, slumping in his own mock self-pity. 

Taking another bite of the apple Dream contemplates a thought over each bite. How could he have gone this long without checking in on his little brother? Sure, he was older than both Tommy and Tubbo but he was still his  _ baby brother _ . 

He was supposed to be there for him, hang out with him, and make him feel loved. But, he can’t help but feel as though he’s failed Purpled. 

How do you just forget about the most important person in the world to you?

Moving his gaze back to the blonde boy in front of him, Dream notices the way his face has fallen, and how he’d started to fiddle with the sleeves of his cotton sweater. 

Huh, last he checked the boy didn’t have any nervous quirks to him. 

Tossing the apple core behind him, not even caring to try and aim it at the trash can, Dream’s face softens as he focuses on trying to fix the mistakes he’s made. “So, what have you been up to, kid? I feel like I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Maybe because you haven’t. I’ve been...busy. Super duper, have no time to hang out with anyone, busy.”

Okay, that one stung.

Because he  _ knows _ it's a lie. Dream doesn’t even want to count how many times he’s seen Purpled warily watching him from afar. Watching him fight in a stupid war that didn’t seem so worth it anymore. Not if it hurt his relationship with Purpled this deeply. 

Just as he was about to open his mouth and tell the boy in front of him how  _ sorry _ he was, and how much he truly meant to him, a shrill yell from outside cuts him off. 

“It’s the only place we haven’t looked, man! He  _ has _ to be up there!”

He had really hoped he would have more time before they found him. 

Glancing at Purpled, both boys warily make their way across the room to look outside. Upon reaching the window, Dream’s heart almost beats out of his chest.  _ They were coming up here. _

_ “Shit!” _ Launching himself into the center of the room, panic starts to creep into Dream’s chest. 

They were going to come up here, into his little brother’s home, and trash it in search of him. His poor, innocent, little brother’s house that he spent  _ weeks _ building from the ground up.

God, he was so stupid. 

“You gotta go, man. Like right now.”

Snapped out of his trance, Dream hadn’t even realized Purpled had taken another peek out the window. 

Stifling a long, exasperated sigh, Dream hangs his head low. He needed to get out  _ now _ . Not being here would put Purpled in less danger,  _ and _ give him a better chance at getting to the End. He could easily fight off George. 

But he really didn’t want to leave Purpeld alone. 

Clipping the white mask to his face, not wanting the other blonde to see the regret for his future actions painting it, Dream lets the emotionless smile settle on the violet eyes boring into him. 

“I’m sorry, kid, I’ll pay for the damages. Go hide.”

Not giving himself another second to think about what the hell he was doing, Dream sprints as fast as he could towards the glass in front of him, making an effort to ignore the surprised gasp Purpled had let out. 

Drawing a water bucket from his inventory, Dream uses it to turn the would-have-been-fatal fall into the exact opposite. Upon landing, he whips around to see George charging him, sword out and ready to come down on him. 

Pushing away the panic about the boy he left behind down, Dream smiles under his mask. George was just too easy. 

Ducking under the swing, Dream kicks his leg out, sending the older man flying back with a grunt of pain. 

Not giving his opponent the chance to retaliate the blow, Dream is on him in a second. 

He wants to end this as soon as possible. He left his baby brother alone with Bad and Sapnap--someone who was known to make brash and dumb decisions. But, his pride wouldn’t let him just stand down. The sooner he could win, the sooner he could-

White-hot pain exploding on his face him cut off the blonde’s thoughts. 

Stumbling back, Dream registers that George had clocked him in the jaw, a cheap shot taken in a moment of vulnerability. 

Shoving down his agitation, Dream pulls his focus back to the fight. Getting his ass beat isn’t going to help anybody. 

Taking out his own sword, Dream starts taking slash after slash at George, forcing the britt onto the defensive as he takes step after step back to avoid getting cut. 

None were fatal blows, but ones that would sure as hell hurt.

Raising his sword backward, so the hilt of the blade was above George’s temple, Dream can’t help the smirk that plasters itself onto his face as he’s about to drop his arm and knock the older out, but a sudden noise makes his whole body freeze. 

That….sounded familiar. 

The scream was too high-pitched and youthful to be from either Sapnap or Bad, which only left one other person as to who it could be- _ no.  _

Dropping his sword, Dream's mind goes blank as he starts running as fast as his body will allow him to Purpled's rapidly falling form. The boy had gone silent, no long flailing in the air, or screaming, or sobbing, or giving him any indication that he was still awake. 

And if he had passed out, there was no way for him to land safely. 

That thought seemed to do what Dream thought was impossible, and made his body move even faster. The boy's body was too close to the ground now for him to catch him gently. 

In a last-ditch effort to reach his baby brother's body, Dream takes a leap of faith and all but football tackles the small, limp, fragile body not 5-feet in front of him. 

Tumbling to the ground, the force of the impact forcing Dream to roll head over heels multiple times, he looks down once he stops and is more than relieved to see a small body cradled to his chest, not ashes from what would have been his first death. 

Ignoring the throbbing in his own body, or the 3 forms making their way over to him, Dream looks over Purpled, noticing that he was right, the boy had passed out. There were tear tracks on his face, red, and blotchy, and just  _ wrong _ looking on him, and he had a sluggishly bleeding cut on the crown of his head. 

Overall okay--but far from it at the same time. 

This was the boy's first close encounter with death, and if Dream had any say in it, will be the closest Purpled ever gets to dying again.

Pulling the vulnerable form closer to his chest, Dream buries his head in the soft curls of the boy's hair. Nothing else mattered right now, just his little brother secured to his chest and the fact that he almost  _ died _ . 

"-Ream, is he alright? You're gonna have to move buddy, I need to look him over."

Snapping his head up at the voice, Dream is met with the face of an all-too calm Bad. But, upon closer inspection of the man's face, he could tell he was pale, seemingly shaken up from the past events as well. 

To his right was George, the Britt's hand slapped over his mouth, eyes bulging out of his head as he stared at the two huddled on the floor, as if he couldn't believe what just happened. 

And that means to his left was Sapnap. 

Eyes narrowing in the deadliest glare he could muster, the only thing keeping Dream from attacking the man right now was the little body cradled in his arms. " _ I’ll kill you _ ."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow my Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/kiwi-kori


	2. The Calm before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur was barely halfway done with his brownie when he heard it, a young, youthful scream ripping through the bubbly, laid-back atmosphere that had been created.
> 
> For a small second, Wilbur felt his whole world stop. His first thought was, Fundy, but then a thought struck him. 
> 
> It was too young sounding to be his son, but Tommy and Tubbo were right next to him.

Today was nice. _Too nice._

The summer heat seemed to have been generous enough to give them a break today, the humidity finally dying down and a breeze blowing through the trees, relieving the citizens of L’Manburg from the warmth surrounding them.

Most importantly, though, the Dream Team seemed to have fallen off the face of the Earth today. 

It’s not as though it was _normal_ to see Dream and his cronies every day, but when Tommy and Tubbo came running through the country’s walls, the former screaming something along the lines of, _“The green bastard didn’t even notice us!”_ Wilbur knew something was off. 

The shout had come early that morning, while the President was helping Fundy plant some crops. He didn’t get much quality time with his son, so one could say he was a bit agitated when his little brother came flying at him, screaming as though Tubbo was a murderer chasing him down. 

Latching onto the blonde’s shoulders, Wilbur shakes the boy slightly, calming his forever going stream of babbled words, “Tommy, _what?_ ”

Shaking his off hands from his shoulders, Tommy mutters something that sounds suspiciously like, “Deaf wanker,” at the same time Tubbo stepped forward to explain. 

“We were in Dream’s empire today, _no one_ even noticed us! We were wearing our uniforms and everything too!”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Wilbur thinks he might just exile both teens from L’Manburg right then and there; he wasn’t ready for his hair to start turning gray yet, he was only 24.

“Are you two daft? You mean to tell me that today, you snuck away to _Dream’s_ land of all people, without telling anyone?”

Sometimes, Wilbur thinks leaving Tommy with Phil would have been the better decision. It’s not that he _doesn’t_ want his baby brother around, it’s just the older he gets, the more rebellious he seems to turn, which means the harder it is to protect him.

“C’mon Wil, have some faith in us! We would have been fine if Dream was around!” Tommy exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air as if to exaggerate his point. 

“No, you wouldn’t have! Tommy, _Techno’s_ a challenge for Dream, he would have wiped the floor with you!”

Huffing a sigh, Wilbur puts his hands back on Tommy’s shoulders, taking note of the way the boy had broken eye contact with him, opting to instead find a sudden interest in his shoes. “Look, Tommy, I’m not saying that to be mean. If you, _either_ of you, got hurt that’s on _me_ , and I don’t know if I’d be able to live with myself.”

Leaning forward a bit, leaning his head on the elder’s shoulder, Tommy lets out a whispered, “I know, big man.” That Wilbur is sure only he was meant to hear. 

Scratching the blond curls resting on him, Wilbur turns back to his son, an apologetic smile present on his face.

But, before he could say anything, the fox hybrid was already nodding at him, a silent, “Go ahead”, from the boy. 

Giving Tommy’s hair one last ruffle, Wilbur pulled away from the boy before leading him and Tubbo towards Nikki’s bakery, already knowing the girl was there. 

Reaching the building’s oak door, Wilbur pushes through them, not even bothering to knock. He didn’t have to, seeing as though Nikki seemed to get more upset if he thought he had to knock, rather than knowing he was always welcome. 

Popping into the kitchen, Wilbur gently pushes Tommy’s back through the doorway, chuckling softly at the glare he receives. “Nikki?”

“Wil?” Looking up from her flower-covered counter, the blonde girl’s face lights up at the sight of her friends, “Tommy, Tubbo! What are you guys doing here?”

It wasn’t often the trio made their way into the small bakery, Wilbur being busy with his job as the President, and Tommy and Tubbo always out on some ‘great adventure’. So, seeing them was almost a treat in Nikki’s opinion. 

Untying her apron, Nikki hangs it up behind her before making her way over to the small group. On her way, she grabs a basket and a few treats such as cookies, cupcakes, and sandwiches. 

And when Wilbur arches a confused eyebrow at her, Nikki simply smiles. 

“Don’t think I haven’t heard of Dream’s absence today,” Carefully intertwining her and the brunette’s fingers. Nikki laughs softly, “I was just waiting to drag you all out on a picnic.”

Smiling down at the shorter girl, Wilbur “discreetly” swats at Tommy’s head when the boy groans at the declaration, chuckling at Tubbo desperately trying not to laugh, “We’d _love_ to join you, right Tommy?”

Not wanting to upset the girl he was not-so-secretly afraid of, Tommy plasters on a tight smile, “ _Right_.”

Making their way to the fields just outside of L’Manburg, Wilbur sets down the picnic basket that he had taken from Nikki on a hill overlooking the country.

It made him feel proud, not just of himself, but of everyone who chose to join him in his quest for independence. It wasn’t over yet, but seeing the progress of their soon-to-be great country made Wilbur feel a bit giddy inside. 

Just don’t tell Tommy that.

Speaking of the little gremlin, the cackle Wilbur hears coming from the boy’s direction tells him the blonde’s spirit has lifted since getting dragged along for the picnic. 

Grabbing two corners of the blanket Nikki had grabbed quickly on the way out of the bakery, Wilbur helped the girl set it down and set up the small picnic, smiling at their work when everything was perfect. 

Walking over to Tommy and Tubbo, the two busy admiring the bees floating about, the tall brunette announces his presence to the teens by ruffling Tubbo’s mop of brown hair, “You boys up for some food?”

Laughing gently, Tubbo springs up, dragging a disgruntled Tommy with him, “It’s Nikki’s cooking, what’s the point of even asking?”

“You’re such a suck-up Tubbo.”

Punching his best friend’s shoulder, the smirk tugging at Tubbo’s face is a clear giveaway to the fact that he isn’t actually offended by the taller’s remark. 

“Shut up.”

Taking off his beanie and slamming it over Tommy’s head, so it almost completely covers the younger’s whole face, Wilbur shoves the pair forward, “Alright, alright, let’s go boys.”

With a roll of his eyes, the beanie was sitting properly on the top of Tommy’s head, and Wilbur knew it would be a long time before he got it back from the blonde. 

And if he was being honest? He was perfectly fine with that.

Joining Nikki on the blanket, the girl already nibbling on what looked to be a cookie, the three boys started digging through the woven basket themselves. 

Today really was the perfect day. 

Until it wasn’t. 

Wilbur was barely halfway done with his brownie when he heard it, a young, youthful scream ripping through the bubbly, laid-back atmosphere that had been created.

For a small second, Wilbur felt his whole world stop. His first thought was, _Fundy,_ but then a thought struck him. 

It was too young sounding to be his son, but Tommy and Tubbo were right next to him. 

It was Nikki who sprang up first, and Wilbur could have sworn he heard the girl mutter a breathless, “ _Purp!”_ before she dashed off. 

But as far as Wilbur knew, there wasn’t a _Purp_ in L’Manburg. 

Yet, when both Tommy and Tubbo started sprinting after the now long-gone Nikki, Wilbur decided he'd have to figure this one out himself and started chasing after the two teens. 

* * *

  
  


He felt like a caged animal. He felt cornered and claustrophobic and he just wanted everyone to _step back, please._

But, it was almost as if his mouth had stopped working, the words getting caught on the lump in his throat, forever trapped behind his clenched teeth. 

So, instead, Dream did the only thing he knew he could do and settled an unwavering glare on Sapnap’s face. 

Well, it’s not like the man could tell he was glaring, but he supposed the forever smiling mask boring into the raven’s gaze was good enough. 

He was distantly aware of Bad’s hands on his shoulders, the elder repeating some sentence that he wasn’t exactly paying attention to.

The tension amongst the small group was only broken when a fear-stricken, sprinting Nikki, all but shoved herself through George and Sapnap to kneel in front of her. 

And, despite the war, despite the fact that she should be his enemy, Dream shifts his gaze onto her, relaxing his tense stature. 

Nikki didn’t push his little brother out a window, she didn’t stand back and let someone else do it, and she didn’t try to take advantage of his worry during a fight. 

It was two small hands that pressed against the sides of his head that truly snapped Dream out of his daze. 

“Dream, what _happened_?”

Swallowing thickly, all the admin could do was shake his head and tighten the grip he had on Purpled’s body. 

Sighing to herself, it looked as though Nikki was about to say something else when suddenly three more figures broke through the tree line. Upon closer inspection, Dream realized it was Wilbur, Tommy, and Tubbo. 

This prompted his body to actually move _back_ without his permission. Never in a million years would he show such vulnerability to his enemy willingly, thank you. 

Rationally, Dream knew he needed help. If he went back to his own house, Sapnap, George, and Bad would just follow him, and Dream didn’t think he’d be able to restrain himself from attacking the trio if that happened. 

And, the only other place with the resources to help him was L’Manburg. 

His first choice would have been taking Purpled back to his UFO, but he didn’t even have to see the inside to know that it was destroyed beyond belief. 

God, why has he been so out of options _all day_? 

A whimper from Purpled’s small body suddenly cut off all thoughts and conversation going on around him. 

Peering down at the young teen, Dream watched as violet eyes slowly peeled themselves open, glazed over and not truly seeing what he was looking at. 

And then, suddenly there was another pair of hands on the boy’s cheeks, softly turning his head. Dream didn’t even have to look up to know it was Nikki. 

Fighting off every instinct he had screaming at him to _get away from her_ , Dream let the woman work, knowing that baking was not her only talent, but first aid as well. 

Standing up, backing away from him slightly, Nikki places her hands on her hips, looking in the direction of Wilbur, “We need to get him back to L’Manburg, I think he has a concussion but I can’t be sure yet.”

Nodding, Wilbur stuffs all the questions begging to spill out until later. He couldn’t stop imagining Tommy in place of the young boy lying in Dream’s arms, “I’ll let Fundy know to get a bed set.”

Turning back to him without a word to Wilbur, Nikki once again crouches down in front of Dream, “Dream, we need to take Purpled back to L’Manburg, Wilbur is gonna carry him, okay?”

He wasn’t a kid, he didn’t need to be talked down to, no less by someone _younger_ than him. 

“I can do it.” Making his way up to shaky feet, Dream forces himself to take a deep breath and stop the tremors running through his body, “I can do it.”

He chooses to ignore the pitying look he gets from Nikki and instead makes to follow Wilbur, who has already started to make his way back to his country. 

Dream didn’t plan on staying in L’Manburg long, just until he could move Purpled to his own home. 

The home that was no longer open to a certain ebony-haired man until further notice. 

It's times like this that Dream wishes he made more of an effort to learn first aid. Sure, he could brew a few potions, but it was mainly George who did that, and would, later on, distribute them between the group. 

But, now was not the time to dwell on his poor medical knowledge, not when small whimpers of pain were leaving Purpled’s mouth more often than not, not when the boy kept squirming in his grip to get comfortable, something Dream knows the blonde won’t accomplish, not when his little brother was thrown off a God knows how many blocks high building, not when Dream let him get hurt. 

It wasn’t until Dream almost walked right into the walls surrounding L’Manburg that he noticed he finally reached his destination. 

Shaking his head, to clear his thoughts, Dream swallows his pride and cautiously enters the one place he vowed to destroy, following a familiar mop of blonde hair. 

Shifting Purpled in a grasp, Dream nuzzled into the boy’s soft hair a bit, hoping to bring at least a little comfort to the boy. 

And plus, the new position made it easier for Dream to hold the boy should he have to bolt, not that he thought he would need to, but still. 

Looking up as a tall figure approaches him, Dream’s eyebrows hit his hairline at the person’s statement. “Dream, who _is_ that, I thought Tommy and Tubbo were the only kids in the area?”

Okay, maybe he’d be running out sooner than he thought. 

_How long has it been since Purpled’s left the area around his UFO?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry, this chapter is shorter than the last, but I didn't want to drag this out too much? Idk I feel like trying to force the chapters to be the exact same amount of pages wouldn't work too well in any kind of book lol
> 
> But, what do you guys think? I'm open to suggestions!
> 
> Comments and Kudos are very much appreciated, and help motivate me to write faster <33


	3. Concussions and Comforting Cuddles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first thing that returns is his hearing.  
> But, the sound is slightly muffled, as though he was floating underwater, waiting to break the surface.  
> Lifting his head up slightly, Purpled instantly regrets the decision, a shock of pain running from the back of his head all the way down his spine.  
> Settling back into whatever he was lying on, Purpled lazily cracks his eyes open, off-put by how bright the room around him seemed to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear, if Sapnap got changed to Subpoena again I'm going to personally sue Grammarly ;--;
> 
> Edit: I changed the ending to this chapter!

“What do you mean ‘ _who is that?’_ ” 

Looking down at the young boy in his arms, Dream can’t believe Wilbur doesn’t know who he is. Purpled has been in his land for what feels like _forever_ , surly him and the older brunette would have had to cross paths at some point?

“I _mean_ who is the random kid passed out in your arms?”

I guess not. 

“I don’t have time for this, Soot.” Pushing past him, Dream makes sure to shoulder-check the elder. I mean seriously, if he said the same thing about Tommy, Wilbur would have had a stroke. 

Making point to not look back, Dream makes his way over to the tent he sees Niki and Fundy standing in front of, various medical supplies clumsily balanced in their arms. 

But, as he walks, Wilbur’s words repeat over and over in his head. How had Purpled managed to avoid Wilbur so well? 

Then again, maybe he wasn’t trying to at all. Even just the thought of Purpled hiding out in his UFO for days on end, alone with nobody noticing his lack of presence is enough to make Dream sick with guilt.

Approaching the small, slightly beat up, bed in the tent, Dream softly lays Purpled down as though the boy were made of glass and one wrong move could shatter him. 

Taking his small hand in his, Dream sits in the seat next to the bed. There is no way in hell he was leaving his baby brother here alone, not in enemy territory. 

Walking to the other side of the bed, Niki sets her supplies down on the foot of the bed before shooing Fundy away, obviously aware of Dream’s wariness. 

“He’s not a bad kid, y’know.” She says casually, trying to strike up conversation as she brushes back Purpled’s bangs, starting to disinfect the cut on his forehead. 

Sighing, Dream leans back in his chair, squeezing the hand clutched in his. “I’m sure he’s not, it's just…..”

“He’s Wilbur’s kid, I get it.”

Looking away from the girl’s face, Dream hates how tired and vulnerable he feels. But it was almost impossible _not_ to open up to Niki, something about the girl’s presence is so gentle and comforting and it breaks Dream’s walls down as though they were made of paper. 

Sitting on the corner of Purpled’s bed, Dream notices the bandage now on his forehead and Niki’s hands combing through his hair. At first glance, one might assume the girl was just trying to bring comfort to the sleeping boy, but Dream could tell she was looking for any bumps or lacerations on his scalp. 

“He may have a concussion, but we won’t know until he wakes up,” Standing, Niki turns, throwing a small smile over her shoulder on her way out, “Buzz me when he does, okay?”

“Yeah,” Breathing out Dream doesn’t even try to mimic her smile under his mask, “Thanks.”

“It’s Purp, anytime Dream.”

And with that, the young adult was gone, leaving Dream and the slumbering teen by his side finally alone. 

Dropping his head in his hands, Dream contemplates what he’s going to do next. He’s beyond pissed at Sapnap and he wouldn’t be surprised if George took the raven’s side. 

He doesn’t know what he’s going to do anymore, and honestly, his head hurts just trying to come up with even a ghost of a plan. 

The admin is brought out of his thoughts, though, by a broken whimper coming from the bed in front of him. 

Head shooting up in alarm, Dream is met with a sight that breaks his heart. 

Lying, curled up in the bed, Purpled’s eyes are squeezed shut tight, and his body trembling as he tries to become as small as he can under the blankets. 

Moving quickly, brotherly instinct kicking in, Dream is in the bed and scooping Purpled up in his arms faster than even _he_ can comprehend. 

Tucking the boy’s head under his chin and rocking them slowly, Dream cards a hand through his sandy hair as he tries to shush the sleeping boy, “It’s okay, you’re okay, Purp, I got you, you’re alright.”

Pressing a gentle kiss into his hair, Dream continues to try and shush the boy. When he’s finally successful in calming the teen down, he moves to get up and let the boy sleep some more. 

Only the second he moves to stand, Purpled’s body curls even tighter around him. 

Sighing, Dream pulls the comforter back so he can slip under it and cradles Purpled against him, perfectly content to stay for the long haul. 

He’s fucked up in the past with Purp, he wasn’t planning on repeating the same mistakes twice. 

* * *

The first thing that returns is his hearing. 

But, the sound is slightly muffled, as though he was floating underwater, waiting to break the surface.

Lifting his head up slightly, Purpled instantly regrets the decision, a shock of pain running from the back of his head all the way down his spine. 

Settling back into whatever he was lying on, Purpled lazily cracks his eyes open, off-put by how bright the room around him seemed to be. 

Squinting his eyes, the boy can’t help the pained groan that escaped him. His whole body was throbbing and he can’t seem to remember _why_. 

He can’t seem to remember a lot of things, actually.

Where was he? What had happened? What the hell was he lying on?

Just as that thought makes its way into his head, the mass under Purpled seems to shift, sitting up a bit. 

It’s then that the boy had realized it was _Dream_ who he was laying on. 

It was nice to be able to sit like this with his brother again. It wouldn’t exactly be a lie to say it’s been a while since the last time he got some good ‘ol brotherly cuddles. 

Dream was safe, comfortable, and warm. Purpled had no intention of moving anytime soon. 

But, unfortunately for him, Dream seemingly notices his half-lidded violet eyes staring ahead at nothing in particular if the soft coo he hears come from the man was anything to go by. 

“Hey, Purp. Have a nice nap?”

Scrunching his eyebrows, Purpled really can’t bring himself to answer the question. But, Dream didn’t seem to mind the lack of response, swiping his bangs from his face and scratching his scalp in a way that makes the teen melt even further into him. 

With a soft chuckle, Dream uses his other hand to start softly scratching at the boy’s back, not missing the content sigh that follows the action. 

“That’s okay, you’re still sleepy, huh buddy?”

Usually, Purpled hated being babied like this. He was an independent person, he didn’t need his older brother to look after him all the time. 

But there was a fog settled over his head right now. He’s confused and sore and the only coherent thought he can really come up with was that Dream was here, and he was safe. 

And it’s been a long time since he's truly felt safe, is it really that awful that he wanted the moment to last just a bit longer?

So, instead of wriggling his way out from under Dream’s comforting arms, Purpled snuggles closer to his chest, his hands weakly grasping at the green fabric of the man’s iconic sweatshirt. 

He was comfortable, more comfortable than he’s been in a long time. 

Until his body was suddenly moved without his permission. 

Squeezing his eyes shut even further than they already were, Purpled feels a new set of hands make their way through his hair and over his face. 

When had another person made their way into the room?

A hand pulling his eye open, Purpled can’t help the pained groan that comes out when he’s exposed to the bright light of the room again, Hiding his face in Dream’s neck when the mystery person lets his face go. 

He thinks he hears his older brother let out a fond chuckle, but the teen can’t be sure as sleep takes a hold of him again, dragging him down into unconsciousness. 

* * *

“He definitely has a concussion, but it seems to only be a mild one,” Niki says, giving Dream a sad smile. 

Breathing a sigh of relief, Dream nods his thanks to the girl once again before watching her quietly leave the tent, ‘Thank you, Niki, really.”

Turning back to the once again sleeping boy, Dream untangles himself from the teen and stands, preparing to lift Purpled up and start the long trek home. 

But, a voice cuts off any action Dream was even thinking about taking, 

“So, Tommy told me he was your younger brother?”

Whipping around, Dream had an exceptionally hard time concealing the growl clawing its way up to his throat. Standing across from him, blocking the doorway, was none other than Wilbur Soot. 

Today might just go down in history as the worst day in Dream’s life. 

Crossing his arms over his broad chest, Dream scowls under his mask, “And you believe everything that comes out of _Tommy’s_ mouth?”

“Over you? Please, Dream, why even bother asking?” Moving from the doorway to stand directly in front of him, Wilbur brushes the hair from his eyes, “But I think we’ve bickered enough, I didn’t come here for that.”

Stepping forward, trying to put as much distance between Wilbur and Purpled as possible, Dream tries to keep his voice steady, “Then why _are_ you here.”

“It’s my country, I think I can walk where I want, old friend,” Gesturing around the room with his hands, Wilbur’s tone takes on a lighter mask, “I was just curious how long you’ve kept the rascal a secret.”

Gripping his own arms, Dream doesn’t think he’ll be able to refrain from punching that smile off the president’s face much longer. “He was never a secret, Wilbur, you’re just too caught up in your own world to notice him.”

“Is that why I never see him with you?”

Tensing, Dream turns his head back to the slumbering form behind him, stomach-churning uneasily. He knew what he had said was hypocritical, he just hadn’t expected Wilbur to pick up on that fact. 

Sweeping the smaller teen up into his arms, Dream turns back to Wilbur, voice low and furious, “Don’t try to understand my family Wilbur, don’t you have your own to worry about?”

Simply laughing at the implied threat, Wilbur claps him on the back, pushing him towards the exit. “Whatever you say, green man.” Continuing to walk him towards the L’Manburg walls, Wilbur stops just shy of leaving the country, pointing into the surrounding woods, “Now get out of my country.”

Without so much as a word to the brunette, Dream was off, silently praying that his house was empty, and Sapnap got the hint that he wasn’t welcome at the moment. 

Thankfully, it seemed as though _something_ had gone his way today. Upon reaching his house and doing a quick sweep of the inside on his way to his bedroom, Dream had found no evidence of any of his friends being around. 

Settling Purpled onto his large, king-sized, bed, Dream shuffles out of the room as quietly as possible, making his way down the hall and to the one-room he’s left untouched for longer than he wants to think about it. 

Open the handle to Purpled’s old bedroom, the one he used up until moving into his UFO, Dream reaches into the boy’s closet, pulling down a plain black t-shirt and pair of sweatpants.

Sweeping his eyes over the now dust-covered room once more, Dream turns to leave, knowing it would be a long time until the space was used again. 

Returning to his own room, Dream finds a fond smile making its way onto his face at the sight that greets him. 

Curled up on his side, limbs strewn about, laid his baby brother, face content with sleep and a steady rise and fall of his chest bringing comfort to the older man. 

But, the boy had hit his head, and Dream wasn’t exactly comfortable with letting him sleep for  _ too _ long, the irrational fear of him not waking up taking hold of the admin’s thoughts, clutching on no matter how hard Dream tries to brush them off. 

So, he makes his way over to the sleeping bundle and gently shakes the smaller blonde’s shoulder, chuckling at the whine following the action. 

Watching as violet eyes peek open, annoyed at the disruption, Dream reaches under the boy's shoulders, hoisting him up into a sitting position, “Up ya go, buddy. You can’t sleep yet.”

Rubbing a slightly shaky hand over his eyes, Purpled shifts a bit in his new upright position, “Dream?”

“Hey Purp,” Dream lightly coos, taking advantage of being able to baby his brother a bit more than usual, “You hit your head pretty good, do you remember?”

Face contorting into confusion, Purpled shakes his head slightly, before realizing that made the nausea settled in his stomach worsen. “No.”

Humming at the response, careful to keep his concern hidden from the younger, Dream sits on the edge of the bed. “That’s alright, I’ll tell you some other time, okay?”

“Yeah,” yawning softly, Purpled massages a hand against his temple, “What’re George and Sapnap up to?”

Freezing at the question, Dream raises an eyebrow at the boy, eyes wide with shock and disbelief. “What?”

“You guys are like...attached at the hip, I’m just surprised they’re not here.”

Swallowing thickly, Dream nods his head at the boy’s statement, “Right, right. No need to worry, Purp, they’re just out gathering supplies.”

A weak lie, but it was all the sweatshirt-clad man could come up with on the spot. 

Scoffing slightly, face splitting into an easy smile, Purpled punches his shoulder weakly, having still not regained his full strength back, “I swear they do everything for you.”

Laughing at the remark, knowing there was no malice or accusation behind it, Dream shoots back, “Don’t let them hear that, I have them wrapped around my finger.”

“Asshat.”

“Idiot.”

“ _ That _ was weak.”

Smirking at the boy, Dream moves to sit next to his brother, gathering the boy in his arms in a jokingly tight embrace, “Is it such a crime that I have nothing bad to say about my kid-brother?”

Squirming to get away, a light laugh comes off Purpled, “Excuses, excuses.” 

Letting the boy go, Dream allows the boy to more comfortably rest against his side, head lolled onto his chest, sleep trying to take hold of him. 

Shaking his small frame once more, Dream feels himself start to get desperate, not sure how to keep the boy awake. “Not yet, Purp, George, and Sapnap will be home soon, they’ve been waiting to see you awake.”

It pained him to spit the sentence out, but he didn’t know what else to say. It's not like he had much to do entertainment-wise in his house.

“M'sorry.” The sandy blonde mumbles, forcing his eyes to stay half-lidded.

“It’s okay, you’re fine.” Pressing a kiss to the crown of his head, Dream whispers, “Just a little longer, okay?”

But before the boy could respond, Dream feels his communicator vibrate, signaling a few new messages coming through to him. 

Fishing it out of his pocket and holding it out for both him and Purpled to see, the messages glowing up at him leave the admin confused. 

_ Astelic has joined the game.  _

_ SammyGreen has joined the game _

_ Gamerboy80 has joined the game _

Lifting his head off Dream’s shoulder, the boy’s remark has the elder descending into soft chuckles despite the situation. “Shit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked this chapter, sorry it took kind of a while for it to come out ^^; I feel like this chapter comes off a bit rambly almost? I'm sorry about that ;--; 
> 
> But quick question for you guys: Do you prefer it when I respond to your comments or not? I've never had a story get as popular as this one, so I'm not really sure how the AO3 community works ^^; Like, I promise I have read all your comments, but I'm scared to respond to them all and have you guys think I'm clogging up the comment section lol what do you guys think?
> 
> As always, comments and Kudos are much appreciated and help motivtae me to update faster! <33


	4. Poison Ivy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here he was, all alone on a cliff, being crushed by the sheer weight of his own thoughts desperately looking for someone to lean on.  
> Until, he wasn’t.   
> Because suddenly two arms were wrapping around his abdomen from behind as a head placed itself on his shoulder.  
> It was then, he knew he couldn't avoid them any longer. He had been found.   
> “Hey, Sammy.” Not looking away from the view in front of him, Purpled’s voice is quiet, scared that if he talked too loud the tears starting to gather at the corners of his eyes would spill over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT: I updated the ending of the last chapter! Please read that before this chapter!

Sitting at his desk at some ungodly hour in the morning that Wilbur doesn’t even want to look at, the man has changed out of his L’Manburg uniform, instead sporting his iconic yellow sweatshirt, still missing the beanie to Tommy. 

Wilbur himself isn’t even sure  _ why _ he’s up right now. 

It’s just--his brain won’t shut up after yesterday's events. It’s scary, honestly, how little he knows about Dream, and how much the man seems to know about him.

Wilbur used to think he knew as much as one could about the Admin, but, the previous day’s events seemed to prove otherwise. 

How caught up in himself was he?

It’s baffling to the brunette, how that blonde-haired boy kept himself secret for so long--or maybe it was Dream’s doing?

But that was the specifics, that didn’t matter, not quite yet.

Digging his hand into his auburn hair, tugging slightly at the curls in frustration, Wilbur stands from his desk, making a point to avert his eyes from the piles upon piles of paperwork waiting for him on the wood surface. 

Making his way out of the room that has been feeling more and more suffocating as the days go by, the young adult finds himself outside, by the small garden his son had started to keep the food supply stable. 

Just that thought brought a fond smile to his face. Gosh, he was so proud of his boy, and it pained him in how he never seemed to voice it. 

It’s just--looking at him reminds him of Sally, and Sally reminds him of the love he still craves to this day. As much as he hates to admit it, he still misses the almost goddess-like fish hybrid. 

He loves his boy, but for some reason, his son cuts the vocal cords of the man known for his words.

Strolling over to the moon-lit lake of the country he holds so near and dear to him, Wilbur sits by the shore, carefully removing his boots and socks to dip his toes in the icy water. 

He saw the country as a music sheet, almost. The piece of paper leading up to the beautiful symphony that would have everyone on their feet, tears in their eyes, hands clapping together fiercely, cheering for him; cheering for his family. 

It wasn’t complete yet, but soon, Wilbur would have the most beautiful melody known to man in his hand, playing the tune for all the SMP to hear. 

He’d personally buy Dream a front-row seat to the performance, he concludes. 

“Wilbs? What’re you doin' up, man?”

Turning his head, already recognizing the voice as his younger brother, Wilbur pats the spot on the dock next to him, signaling for the smaller to sit. 

“I could ask you the same thing, Toms.” Averting his gaze from the boy’s brilliant blue eyes and looking back out at the calm lake before him, Wilbur gestures out, “Just takin’ in the view. You?”

Both siblings knew it was a lie, but thankfully, Tommy chose to ignore that glaring fact and instead shrug his shoulders half-heartedly. 

“I would say the same but that would make both of us dirty liars. Big men don’t lie, Wil.” Reaching up to grab the red beanie from his fluffy hair, Tommy continues, “I haven’t slept yet, and I heard you come down here. Thought you could use some company?”

The statement had been said more as a question than anything, discreetly asking him if his presence was welcome. 

Wilbur wasn’t even sure why the boy bothered asking, his company was more welcome than anyone else’s he knows--it’s his little brother, could you blame him?”

Chuckling softly to try and ease the boy’s uncertainty, Wilbur wraps an arm around his shoulders, “I can always use the company, don’t even have to ask.”

“What are you really doing out here, Wil?”

There it is, the one question Wilbur was praying the boy wouldn’t ask. It wasn’t that he felt he  _ couldn’t _ share it with Tommy, it’s just he wanted to hold onto what little pride he seemed to have left. 

But, one look into those oh-so brilliant and bright blue eyes that are much too old for the kid barring them has Wilbur’s walls crumbling. “I just-I thought I had the upper hand or was at least on the same  _ level _ as Dream. Yesterday proved me wrong, I suppose.”

With a snort, Tommy leans forward over the water, “Just because you didn’t know he had a brother doesn’t mean you’re at a disadvantage, Big P.”

“But it  _ does! _ ” Swinging his arms out as though it would demonstrate his frustration, Wilbur cries out, “It’s not  _ about _ the boy, Toms. It's about what he represents.”

“Which is….?”

“How little I  _ know _ Dream! How am I supposed to pose a threat when all I know is a porcelain mask?”

It was like a lightbulb had gone off in Tommy’s head, then. Sitting up straighter, eyes wide with realization, and mouth split into the most shit-eating grin Wilbur thinks he’s ever seen adorn the boy’s face, Tommy says, “Okay, fine. Maybe  _ you _ don’t know anything about Dream, but you know who does?”

Understanding where the boy’s train of thought was leading to, Wilbur finds himself sharing the boy’s grin. “I think you might be onto something, Mr. Tommyinnit.”

* * *

Waking up that morning, Purpled felt a lot more aware than he had the previous night. Which, thank god for, because he didn’t know if he would have been able to take the embarrassment of needing to be Dream’s personal Koala any longer. 

There was still a prominent ache pounding behind his eyes, and it took longer than usual for his vision to come back into focus but it was nothing he couldn’t handle, really. 

He’d been alone for far long enough to know how to take care of himself. 

And it seemed like Dream agrees with the statement, seeing as though the admin is nowhere to be found in his house. 

Purpled would know, he’d spent the better half of his morning searching for his brother, as embarrassing as it was to admit. 

He was just delaying the inevitable--he  _ knew _ his bedwars friends were in town, he was just….conveniently too busy to meet up with them. 

That and Astelic’s big sister instincts might be a little bit scary when they kick in. 

So here he was, sitting at the wooden table of Dream’s kitchen, munching on some sugary cereal alone, looking absolutely pathetic.

Not that he was paying any extra attention to that fact or anything. 

It was almost comical, how hilariously sad he must look right now. He fell out--well was  _ thrown _ out--of a window yesterday, and his brother had fled the second he got the chance. 

He was feeling a bit more like poison ivy than that perfect little weed he saw himself as, at the moment. 

Pushing the bowl of sickeningly sweet cereal away from him, having lost his appetite to his own intrusive thoughts, Purpled stands from the table, leaving the soggy food behind. 

A present for Dream, whenever he decides to return, the boy concludes. 

Looking down the hall opposite of him, Purpled debates making the trek to his room to hopefully find a new set of clothes to throw on, before turning away towards the front door. 

He didn’t want to revisit his old room, not right now at least. 

Someday he would, the boy promises himself. A promise made with his fingers crossed behind his back. 

Moving towards the front door instead, Purpled quickly squeezes into his dirty old converse before flinging the door open, being smacked in the face with a cold breeze. 

Okay, so maybe just the black t-shirt wouldn’t cut it after all. 

Looking to his left, at the coat hanger sitting nicely next to the door, Purpled spots a familiar green hoodie; one of his brother’s many. 

Swallowing his pride and pettiness, Purpled pulls the article of clothing over his head, secretly enjoying how it was slightly oversized on him, keeping more heat in than his classic purple hoodie ever will. 

Stepping out of the house he once resided in, Purpled doesn’t have a destination in mind. All he knew was that he needed to get out, for himself and for Dream. 

God, he was such a fool. He had really, truly, convinced himself that Dream cared about him past the fact that his heart was still beating, and lungs were still working. 

He wonders if this was how poison ivy feels. If so, he regrets ever hating on the plant. 

Coming across Niki’s old bakery, the one she used before moving into L’Maburg, Purpled contemplates going inside. He knew the girl wouldn’t be there, but it was a place he always related to happy memories. 

His personal getaway, if you will. 

Ultimately, he ends up passing the glass doors, leaving them undisturbed. 

His journey takes him to the clifftop he’s sat upon with Dream countless times. What once overlooked untouched land and ocean, now sat over L’Manburg, giving full access to see what it’s citizens were doing. 

But he had no interest in that. No, he was simply there to listen to the calming waves and try not to get lost in his own head. 

He can only do that so many times before starting to believe all the awful things his brain would whisper to him. The thoughts he tried to drown in the ocean of his own mind, only for them to float back to the surface. 

Drawing his knees to his chest, Purpled rests his chin on top of them. 

He wonders when exactly it happened, everyone leaving him behind. It was like they all hit fast forward on their lives while his button was broken, destined to forever be behind everyone else. 

It’s partly his own fault, he never made an effort to be part of the history going down before his very eyes. But then again, he didn’t know whose side he would have chosen, anyway.

On one side, Tommy and Tubbo are-- _ were _ \--two of his best friends. He remembers the days they would hang out for hours on end, getting into mischief left and right.

But, eventually, it was just Tommy and Tubbo doing that. 

On the other hand, Dream is his brother, how could he fight against him? Hell, the worst he could bring himself to do was leave the elder with a soggy bowl of cereal to deal with. 

Who was he kidding, no matter how much he wants to be a part of something,  _ anything _ , he couldn't be in the war.

Nope, not selfish, cowardly, conflicted Purpled. 

The breeze blowing through the trees was the only source of comfort the boy could find. It lightly tousled his short blonde locks and ruffled his clothes, but it also helped ground him. 

It was the only constant in his life right now. 

Here he was, all alone on a cliff, being crushed by the sheer weight of his own thoughts, desperately looking for someone to lean on.

Until he wasn’t. 

Because suddenly two arms were wrapping around his abdomen from behind as a head placed itself on his shoulder.

It was then, he knew he couldn't avoid them any longer. He had been found. 

“Hey, Sammy.” Not looking away from the view in front of him, Purpled’s voice is quiet, scared that if he talked too loud the tears starting to gather at the corners of his eyes would spill over. 

“Hey, Purp.” A pause. “What’re you doing up here?”

A shrug was the only response he found himself capable of giving. 

Just when he thought he was finally getting a hold of himself, another set of arms wrapped around him from the left, careful to take his head in their hands and cradle it, softly stroking his hair. Astelic.

And then another hand was placed on his shoulder, gently squeezing it to show their support. Gamerboy.

Choking on the first sob that escapes his body, Purpled tries desperately to keep the rest in. But, then Astelic is whispering sweet nothings in his ear, and Sammy’s hands start rubbing his back, and Gamerboy’s hand tightens its grip. 

So, he lets everything he has been keeping bottled up for far too long out, feeling more content in his friend's arms than he has ever felt in anyone else’s. 

He doesn’t even know how they found him. Whether it was merely a stroke of luck or not, Purpled couldn’t bring himself to care.

A kiss is placed on the crown of his head, a gesture he knows Astelic for doing, and it only makes the tears flood down his fast faster, and his breath hitch slightly. 

He doesn’t even want to begin to think about how he was going to explain this to them later. He doesn’t know if he’ll even be able to without breaking down again. 

But that doesn’t matter, because he knows even if that does happen, even if he finds himself in this same position as he tries to explain away everything that has been going on in his life, he knows that they’ll be there for him, no judgment, no poking fun at him for it. 

Because a lot of them have been in the same position as well. He remembers holding Astelic close the day she found out her dog died, brushing his hand through Sammy’s hair when he broke his arm, and affectionately placing a hand on Gamerboy’s shoulder after a particularly rough bedwars match.

He can’t even remember the last time Dream held him like this, and no, yesterday didn’t count thank you very much. Yesterday, he was barely aware of  _ anything _ , it could have been Dream or Technoblade and he would have clung onto them the same.

“It’s okay. You’re okay.” Astelic’s voice breaks through his gut-wrenching sobs and suffocating thoughts.

Was he okay?

Was anything okay?

He didn’t know and honestly didn’t want to find out. And strangely enough, that was more than fine with Purpled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed! I just had to add Gamerboy80 to this book, how could I not?
> 
> Anyway, I'm so sorry I've been gone for so long! It's been forever since I've updated, I'm truly sorry! I've actually rewritten this chapter at least 4 times, so that's why it took so long to come out ^^;;
> 
> I hope you enjoyed what I ended up coming up with!
> 
> Comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated and help motivate me to update faster <33


	5. Emancipation not Manipulation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I didn’t lose him!” Attempting to size him up, Dream stares unimpressed at the girl in front of him, scowl hidden by his ever-smiling mask.
> 
> “Then please enlighten me on how Purpled got himself lost in a cave.”
> 
> He knew he wasn’t being helpful in this situation, but Dream couldn’t help the snark that rose up his chest when talking to the younger girl.
> 
> Perhaps it was jealousy of her obvious close relationship with Purpled, though Dream wouldn’t ever admit that to be the truth.
> 
> “No one lost anyone in a cave.” Throwing her hands up in agitation, the auburn-haired boy next to the girl places his hand gently on her shoulder. 
> 
> “It was a creeper,” The boy says, “You know that’s uncontrollable.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back, did you miss me :)
> 
> Something to keep in mind while reading--you have yet to be introduced to a villain ;D

His friends have officially turned into leeches. 

He gets why--he really does--but Purpled can’t help but find himself feeling suffocated by the newfound clinginess of his friends.

It’s funny, he thinks, he used to  _ crave _ attention, he’d take it in any form, negative or positive, but now that he has it he can’t  _ breathe _ .

He feels like the Goldilocks of social interaction, too much, too little, and never finding what’s  _ just _ right. 

Purpled doesn’t know how she lived like that, he’s not sure how much longer he can take it before he snaps.

Gaze trailing to the door as it opens, Purpled can’t help but feel the need to tear his hair out upon seeing Astelic enter.

It hadn’t even been 10 minutes since Sammy left to get some food. He couldn’t even have  _ 10 minutes _ to himself. It was beginning to feel more like torture than his friends genuinely caring for him. 

Despite this, his voice takes on a more playful tone as he pushes himself off the beanbag he was resting against, “The wicked witch is back.”

Shooting a heat-less glare his way, the older girl’s lip juts out in a mock pout, “Well you seem just as pleasant as hanging around a  _ bucket of water _ , Purp.”

Standing opposite from the brunette, Purple crosses his arms over his chest, locking eyes with the shorter, “Lemme guess, Sam sent you over?”

Waving him off, Astelic dumps an assortment of fruits and veggies onto the table, as well as various weapons. “Oh please, I stole these from him when he was on his way back here. I can tell you’re getting restless.”

Picking up a netherite pickaxe, Purpled wonders how the girl acquired such good armor so quickly. “Observant one you are.”

Rolling her eyes at the snark, Astelic rations out the food between the two of them, placing her half in her inventory. “Do you wanna do something, or not?”

Glaring at the girl, Purpled juts his chin out defensively, “I never said I didn’t.”

Turns out, ‘fun’ in Astelic’s book was mining. It was obvious the girl just didn’t want to enter the caves alone, using Purpled’s apparent boredom to her advantage. 

Swinging his weapon over his shoulder, Purpled pokes the back on Astelic’s head with his finger, taking victory in the small yelp it gets him. “Were you seriously too scared to mine by yourself?”

Slamming her foot down on his own, Purpled doesn’t miss the small smirk sent his way at his own pained yelp, “Shut up and take your free ego boost.”

“Oh no,” Lightly pushing the girl aside, Purpled swings his pickaxe at pretend monsters, “I’ll protect you ‘Stelic, you don’t even have to pay me this time.”

“Move it, loser.” Pushing the sandy-haired boy ahead, Astelic mutters out, “I truly hate you.”

Eyes lighting up, Purpled points in front of himself, gesturing to a creeper hugging the left side of the cave, “It seems the universe is cheering for my knight in shining armor arc as well.”

Placing a shield in the boy’s arms, Astelic steps back, an uneasy smile on her face as she attempts to hide her concern. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, Purp.”

Not looking back, Purpled makes his way over to the mob, careful to not make any brash movements. 

As much as he was fooling around earlier, he wasn’t joking in his promise to protect Astelic; he’d always protect his friends no matter what. 

Switching his ax for a sword, Purpled drew the weapon close to his body before slashing out, aiming for where the heart of the creature should be. 

But his weapon merely grazed the mob, just deep enough to agitate the creeper.

Just painful enough for it to start smoking. 

Cursing underneath his breath, Purpled ducks deeper into the cave without thinking, putting more distance between himself and Astelic as he hears the older girl cry out his name, helpless to assist him as the creeper gets hotter and hotter.

Finally, Purpled thinks, the animal explodes. But, he realizes too late that it wasn’t such a good thing as the ceiling above where the creeper once stood collapses, effectively putting a wall between him and Astelic. 

Grumbling to himself, Purpled reaches for his pickaxe, hand swiping against the open air of where it should be in his inventory. 

Face scrunching up, the teen stands, spotting the broken handle of the tool that must have gotten caught in the explosion.

Body tensing as he hears footsteps quickly approach him, Purpled doesn’t dare turn around at the voice that reaches him, body going tense and fingers curling into fists.

“Purpled?”

* * *

“What do you mean you  _ lost him in a cave _ ?” Dream knows his voice is booming throughout the community house room, much too loud for the small space, but the man can’t bring himself to care at the moment. 

“I didn’t  _ lose _ him!” Attempting to size him up, Dream stares unimpressed at the girl in front of him, scowl hidden by his ever-smiling mask.

“Then please enlighten me on how Purpled got  _ himself _ lost in a cave.”

He knew he wasn’t being helpful in this situation, but Dream couldn’t help the snark that rose up his chest when talking to the younger girl.

Perhaps it was jealousy of her obvious close relationship with Purpled, though Dream wouldn’t ever admit that to be the truth.

“No one lost  _ anyone _ in a cave.” Throwing her hands up in agitation, the auburn-haired boy next to the girl places his hand gently on her shoulder. 

“It was a creeper,” The boy says, “You know that’s uncontrollable.”

Pulling out his compass, Dream locks eyes with the eldest of the group, the only one who has yet to speak up, “Which cave?”

“It’s roughly 500 blocks south,” Pointing in said direction, Dream feels his heart drop when he realizes just what cave they’re referring to.

“You mean the cave Sapnap went mining in today?”

By the looks on the three teen’s faces, Dream guessed his little brother told the trio exactly what happened to him. 

Sharing a fear-filled look throughout the group, all four are shoving each other out of the community house in seconds, tearing their way towards where their youngest is trapped. 

* * *

“You’re insane,” Fundy stares at his father and uncle, eyes blown wide in disbelief, “We can’t kidnap a child, Dad.”

“That’s the beauty of it Funds,” Tommy exclaims, the excitement on his face almost blinding, “We’re not kidnapping anybody.”

Stepping forward a bit, her arms wrapped around herself in a clear show of discomfort, Niki looks to Wilbur, “So it’s manipulation, then?”

“It’s  _ emancipation, _ ” Wilbur retorts, grabbing one of Niki’s hands and gazing over the circle of citizens around him, “Do you really think Dream’s a good brother? I’ve literally never seen that boy before today.”

Frowning, Tubbo averts his eyes to the ground, “He used to be around a lot, no one really knows what happened to him.”

“Dream happened.” The dark-haired president lays a hand on Tubbo’s shoulder, “The boy literally got flung out a window, there’s no way he’s safe on that bastard’s side.”

“ _ Which is why, _ ” Flinging his arms over Tubbo’s shoulder, Tommy’s face contorts into a cocky smile that brings comfort to the other through just the sheer familiarity of it, “We approach him with a proposition.”

Catching on to the younger’s train of thought, Eret smiles, eyes crinkling behind his sunglasses, “It takes a God to please everyone, and just a decent person to please most.”

Ruffling Tommy’s hair, Wilbur levels the citizens of L’Manburg with a confident stare, “And Purpled has yet to realize his brother chose the wrong role to play.”

Looking behind him, Wilbur spots the little campfire area sitting in the middle of the country, and despite it just past noon, he beckons his friends over to the spot, pulling Tommy tightly to his side when the boy sits next to him. 

“What about the other three,” Fiddling with the grass and dirt next to her, Niki watches contently as Fundy starts a small fire, “The new people, I mean.”

“The ones that joined yesterday?” Continuing at the woman’s nod of confirmation, Eret says, “We could use all the numbers we can get against Dream.”

Glancing down as he feels Tommy shift from under his arm, Wilbur furrows his brows at the troubled look on the boy’s face, concerned about what the younger may be thinking about. 

But, before he could question the boy, the blonde blurts out, “Isn’t Purpled American?”

Slapping a hand over his mouth to keep himself from laughing, Wilbur’s body shakes with the effort of keeping quiet, “ _ That’s _ all you got from all this?”

Pouting, Tommy gently slaps the elder’s knee before crossing his arms, face flushing and gaze on the ground, “I’m just saying. Are we really inviting the first American in?”

“I think so, Toms, I think so.” Wilbur whispers, resting his head atop blonde curls, finger poking into Tommy’s side to get the boy to smile, “Times change, bubs, we just have to roll with it.”

No one dares to mention the small smile that graces Tommy’s face at the old nickname as the group descends into a comfortable silence.

* * *

“How did you get in here!” Purpled yelps, spinning as fast as his body would let him upon hearing the one voice that haunted his dreams.

“I walked.” Sapnap deadpanned, “How’d you do it?”

Defensively placing his hands on his hips, Purpled glances around the dark cave, uneasy about the suffocating tension stretching the miles between him and the raven before him. 

What exactly does the universe have against him? 

“Shut up,” He settles on saying, “You don’t get to do that.”

Face crumbling, Purpled notes that Sapnap is still wearing the same clothes he was the day of the fall, it was clear the elder wasn’t exactly caring for himself. 

“Purp-”

“Do you have any torches on you?” The blonde interrupts. Purpled doesn’t think he could handle a confrontation right now, not stuck in a pitch-black cave littered with mobs. “I’m fresh out.”

He wasn’t some baby that would break down, he was never like that. He’ll never  _ be _ like that. 

But right now, feeling more and more like the main character in a horror movie than not, Purpled finds himself having a hard time keeping that promise. 

The painful pounding in his head is back, and Purpled has to physically double over to keep himself from puking. 

That wasn’t smart though, was it? He just opened himself up to get hurt again. He was almost waiting for Sapnap to advance on him, grab him by the shoulder and punch him until he can’t handle the pain exploding all over his body anymore, no one there to help him. 

But, that doesn’t happen. Nothing happens, actually. 

Sapnap looked frozen, stuck between wanting to help and thinking his presence would do more harm than good. 

Purpled is almost relieved that he wasn’t coming any closer to him. But he himself was stuck between wanting to be left alone or accepting any comfort that comes his way. 

Oh, how he wishes Dream were here. 

His brother would have knocked Sapnap out so fast Purpled wouldn’t even have time to worry about him. 

Not when the air around him was growing thinner and thinner, less and less of it entering his lungs like he desperately begged it to. 

Hands reaching for his throat, Purpled claws at it in a way that he knows will leave marks later on. Maybe he could say he got attacked by a stray cat. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to tell anyone the real reason. 

Stumbling back, hitting the rock and gravel wall behind him, Purpled slides down to the ground as his knees buckle, no longer able to hold his shaking form up. 

Tears are sliding down his face now, and distantly, he thinks he could hear himself muttering a mantra of words under his breath, the sentences blaringly loud in the otherwise silent cave,  _ “Please-I don’t-I don’t know where he is I promise. Please, Sap, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I-” _

His voice breaks, unable to keep up the amount of heart-wrenching sobs that claw their way up to his throat.

Hands making their way to his hair, Purpled  _ pulls _ on the short blonde locks, looking for a way to ground himself and stop this pathetic blubbering. 

He feels two hands cup his face, and despite the fear that courses through him to  _ ‘get away’ _ , Purpled finds himself leaning into the touch, whimpering, “Sapnap?”

“We’re getting out of here,” Pulling the boy to his chest, Sapnap feels tears of his own prick his eyes, “I promise.”

Purpled almost believes him, he really does, until the familiar sound of a bow and arrow echo throughout the dark cave. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! The writing felt mediocre to me? I hope it was still enjoyable to read ;w;
> 
> But I'm back! I'm so sorry about disappearing for so long, things came up and life got crazy ^^; but--updates should be much faster now <33
> 
> Comments and kudos are much appreciated and motivate me to work on this faster <33 Love you all~

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, this was rewritten for anyone wondering! More chapters will be coming soon, characters like Tommy, Tubbo, Wilbur, and more will be showing up and playing a big role!~
> 
> Comments and Kudos are very much appreciated, and motivate me to update this book faster.


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